Spinning tool



H. s. DARLINGTON, JR 2,960,051

SPINNING Toor.

8 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENT .mum

Nov. 15, 1960 Filed Nov. 29, 1956 Nov` 15, 1960 H. s. DARLINGTON, JR

SPINNING TOOL B Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 29, 1956 Herz 2:5/ Ji arzhj 8Sheets-Sheet 4 N mi ,um m

SPINNING TOOL H. S. DARLINGTON, JR

' ATTORNEYS. v

Nov. 15, 1960 Filed Nov. 29. 195e Nov. 15, w60 H. s. DARLINGTON, JR2,960505 SPINNING TOOL Filed Nov. 29. 195e a sneetsMsneet s l A l!1.71m...

Nov. 15, 1960 H. s. DARLINGTON, JR 2,960,051

SPINNING Toor.

Filed Nov. 29, 1956 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 Nov. 15, 1960 H. s. DARLINGTON, JR2,950,051

SPINNING Toor.

Filed Nov. 29, 195e a sheets-sheet v mv NToR Hemyd. army om, Jr.'

ATTORNEYS Nov. l5, 1960 H. s. DARLxNGToN, JR 2,960,051

SPINNING TOOL Filed Nov. 29. 1956 a sheets-sheet s ijnited States PatentSPINNING TOOL Henry S. Darlington, Jr., Media, Pa., assignor to A. H`

Wn-.2, Inc., Chester, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvama Filed Nov. 29,1956, Ser. No. 625,129

3 Claims. (Cl. 113-52) The present invention relates to a spinning tooladapted to spin the flanges on collapsible tubes or the like.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a spinning head which rotateson bearings, to mount one or preferably a plurality of spinning fingerson the spinning head, to provide a spinning roller or rollers rotatablymounted on one end of the spinning finger or fingers, and to pivot thespinning `finger or fingers in a direction to move the spinning rolleror rollers radially inwardly in order to spin a flange.

A further purpose is to push a collar surrounding the spinning headlongitudinally against ends of spinning lingers in order to move thespinning lingers and spinning rollers inwardly.

A further purpose is to provide a feed plunger which moves inside thespinning head and feeds a tube neck to the collapsible tube.

A further purpose is to carry the neck insert across the interveningspace in order to position it on the collapsible tube by bringing theplunger into engagement with a guide pin on the mandrel, the guide pinon the mandrel desirably having cam surfaces which tend to centrallylocate the neck insert.

A further purpose is to provide a feed trough extending transverselyfrom the line of motion of the plunger and to coordinate the action of afeed valve across the other end of the feed trough with the motion ofthe feed plunger.

A further purpose is to interpose lost motion means on the feed plunger.

Further purposes appear in the specification and in the claims.

In the drawings I have chosen to illustrate one only of the numerousembodiments in which my invention may appear, selecting the forms shownfrom the standpoints of convenience in illustration, satisfactoryoperation and clear demonstration of the principles involved.

Figure l is a top plan view of the device of the invention, with themandrel supporting shaft broken away.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the device of Figure l,omitting the mandrel.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevation showing the spinningrollers and the spinning head with a portion of the feed trough,omitting the mandrel.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section on the line 4--4 of Figurel, in retracted position.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 in advanced position.

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6 6 of Figure 2.

Figure 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of Figure 2.

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary diagrammatic perspective showing thevalve escapement mechanism for feeding the neck inserts.

Figures 9, l0 and ll are fragmentary enlarged sections showing theplunger, with the neck insert thereon about to engage in the collapsibletube on the mandrel in Figure 9, showing engagement just having takenplace in Figure l0, and showing the completed rolled operation in Figurell.

ice

It is desirable to spin flanges and the like on collapsible tubes andother containers for the purpose of anchoring neck inserts or othercomponents. It is difficult to perform this operation without delay dueto the fact that in many cases the components must be fed into assemblyrelationship along a path which would interfere with the operation ofthe spinning means, and then the spinning means must become effectivewithout delay in order to secure the components together.

I have discovered that this problem can be solved effectively by feedingthe insert longitudinally to the assembly position, and swinging thespinning rollers on fingers so that they move inwardly after the insertis passed, without obstructing the insert path.

A further desirable feature of theinvention which is preferably used, isthat the insert is guided across the space from the plunger to thecollapsible tube by engaging with the plunger a guide pin on themandrel.

Accordingly it is possible, using the principles of the invention, tospin radially while the spinning rollers are' turning.

Furthermore, the inward motion of the spinning rollers as they turnproduces a very desirable force distribution which tends to make theresult highly effective.

Considering now the drawings, a bracket 20 supports upstanding lugs 21and 22 in two spaced sets which support longitudinal parallel guide rods23. The guide rods mount a sliding body 24 by means of guides 25 whichsurround the guide rods and carry sliding guide bushings 26 acting onthe guide rods.

The body 24 has a longitudinally extending circular opening 27 whichreceives a hollow cylindrical rod 28 which at the forward end carriesantifriction, suitably ball bearings 30 and 31 mounted on opposite sidesof a shoulder 32 and retained by a retainer 29 having a snap ringportion engaging in the recess. The rearwardmost bearing rides against aspacer 33 and the entire bearing and rod structure is held iirm by a nut34 threaded on a thread 35 provided on the rod 28 at the rear of thebody.

vThe body and the rod 28 are reciprocated back and forth by a barrel cam36 on a cam shaft 37 having a cam track 38 which engages a followerroller 40 carried on a follower lever 41 which has a fixed pivot at 42,as best seen in Figure 2. The follower lever 41 at its end remote fromthe pivot 42 makes pivotal connection at 43 with an adjustable link 44,the opposite end of which makes pivotal connection to a pin 45 on theforward end of the body. The adjustments assist in regulating rollingpressure on rod 44.

The bearings 30 and 31 mount a spinning head 46 which rotates on thebearings and which at its rearward end carries a pulley 47 which isdriven from belt 48 to pulley 50 on shaft 51. The drive permits thespinning head to reciprocate while rotating.

The spinning head at its forward end, and at suitably l20circumferential spacings, carries tangential pivots 52 extendingtangential to the circle of rotation across slots 53, which pivotallymount L-shaped spinning fingers 54, best seen in Figures 4 and 5.

At the forward ends, the spinning lingers carry axles 55 which mountantifriction bearings, suitably ball bearings 56, which pivotallysupport spinning rollers 57, best seen in Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5. Thespinning rollers have forwardly and inwardly inclined concave rims 58which are adapted to spin and shape the flange of the work to bedescribed, and on the opposite side of a peak 60 there are rearwardlyand inwardly diagonally extending rim portions 61.

Helical compression springs 62, acting in cooperating spring wells ofthe fingers and of the spinning head, urge the fingers at the forwardends andthe spinning rollers radially outward. On the rearward ends, thefingers carry bearing mounting axles `63 which secure antifrictionbearings, suitably ball bearings 64, the outer races of which engage theforward edge of collar 65 surrounding the spinning head. The collar isjournalled with respect to the rotating spinning head by a bushing 66interposed between the collar and the spinning head.

The collar at diametrally opposite positions carries pivot axles 67which pivot rollers 68 which engage in U slots 70 on the ends of a yoke71. The yoke intermediate its ends is pivoted by a pin 72 secured to thebody. At the end remote from the engagement with the roller `67, theyoke carries a roller 73 pivoted on a pin 74.

In the forward position of the body, the roller 73 engages against astop plunger head 75 on a stop plunger 76, best seen in Figures 4 and 5.The plunger extends through a spring receiving opening 77 of a stophousing 78 on the bracket and extends through an opening 80 at theforward end of the stop housing. A spring washer 81 engaging in asuitably annular slot in the plunger prevents the plunger from movingtoo far rearward while engaging the forward end of the stop housing. Ahelical compression spring 82 urges the stop plunger toward rearwardposition and occupies the spring recess surrounding the plunger, actingbetween the plunger head and the forward end of the recess.

It should be kept in mind that the spring 82 is a relatively heavyspring so that the spring abutment will resist compression of the spring82 initially and overpower the springs 62, bringing the rollers 57 intoclosed position and then, after the rollers are closed and are inworking position, the spinning head is permitted to move further forwardby a compression of spring 82.

A push rod 84 operates in a longitudinal passage 83 through the rod 28,the push rod consisting of body 85 and a forward plunger 87.

At the forward end, the plunger 87 has lost motion in a forward bore 95of the body 85 and is urged toward the forward position by helicalcompression spring 96 which acts between the base of the bore and theinner end of the plunger. The plunger is limited in forward motion bypin 97 which extends across the body 85 of the push rod through a slot98 in the plunger. The forward end of the plunger is relatively pointedat 100 and tits inside the hollow of the neck insert and mates with theguide rod as later explained.

The motion of the push rod is controlled by a barrel cam 101 having atrack 102 which manipulates a follower roller 103 on follower lever 104which is pivoted on a ixed pivot 105. The follower lever at the endopposite from the pivot 105 makes pivot connection 106 with anadjustable link 107. The adjustment determines the spring pressureexerted to hold the neck insert into the socket of the tube.

The link has a slot 108 at the far end which receives a pin 110 which ismounted on a lever 111 intermediate between the ends of the lever. Thelower end of the lever 111 has a fixed pivot 112 on the bracket 20. Thelink is urged toward forward position of the lever 111 by a helicaltension spring 113 acting between the spring abutment 114 on the linkand a spring abutment 115 on the pin 110.

The lever 111 at its end remote from the fixed pivot 112 carries a pin116 which extends across through longitudinal slots 117 in the rod 28and through an opening 118 in push rod base `85, and through openings incollar 119 which surrounds and rides on the outside of rod 28.

The rod 28 at an intermediate position in its ends has a transversedownwardly extending slot 120 which is suitably of T-shaped crosssection in plan to receive successive neck inserts which pass downthrough a similar slot 121, aligning with the slot 120 and extendingthrough the top of the body, This slot 121 is located below a suitableT-slotted feed channel ,122, which carries in transverse recesses 123, apair of valve plates 124 and 125 which are vertically separatedV byfillers 126 and secured together by rivets i127, best seen in Figures 6and 8. The valve plates have laterally displaced vertical T-slots 128and 129. The valve plates in the position of Figure 8 obstruct motion ofneck inserts downward through the feed channel but permit one neckinsert entrapped between valve plates 124 and 125 to feed downward. Inthe opposite position the valve plates permit one neck insert to becomeentrapped between the valve plates.

One valve filler has an extension 130 which carries a pin `131 (Figure8) which engages in a slot 132 on a lever 133 which is at one end of larock shaft 134 passing downward through an opening 135 in the body. Thelever 133 is held angularly with respect to shaft 134 by clutch 133which is urged in engagement by helical compression spring 1332 actingat one end against collar 1333 and at the other end acting against thelever 133. This arrangement permits relative slippage of the lever 133with respect to the rock shaft 134 in case of overload, as due tobreakage of an insert or feeding of some component for which the feedhas not been designed. The rock shaft at its lower end carries a lever136 which is resiliently urged from the outer end toward cut-offposition of the valve by helical tension spring 137 which is anchored atone end to a spring abutment 138 at the end of the lever 136, and toabutment 140 on the bracket at the other end. The striking of the leveragainst an adjustable abutment 139 in retracted position of the bodyopens the valve.

As shown in Figure l, a wheel 141 on a shaft 142 supports a series ofmandrels `143, only one of which is shown, and moves the mandrelsintermittently to center them with the action of the spinning device.:Collapsible tubes n144 are pushed on the mandrels, each of the tubeshaving a skirt or side wall 145, a shoulder 146, and an annular iiange147 which is to be spun over to engage the neck insert. The shoulderextends radially inwardly of the flange and terminates at a centralopening.

The -neck insert as shown in Figures 9, 10 and ll is suitably formed ofplastic, and has a threaded neck portion 148 and a base rim portion 150which is shown in Figure 111 engaging inside the ange, and is held byspinning over the ange at 151.

The forward end of the mandrel mounts an annular plug 152 which receivesa guide pin i153 centrally located in the forward end of the mandrel andhaving an operative end member extending through openings 154 in thetube and at the forward end tapering at 155 to guide the insert intocentral position with respect to the other tube. At the very forward endthe guide pin has a suitably tapered locater recess 156 which as shownin Figure l0, mates with the end of the plunger 87.

In operation of the device, when the body is retracted, the mandrelwheel indexes to bring a new mandrel and collapsible tube mountedthereon into registry with the axis of the spinning mechanism. Then fromretracted position, the spinning rolls are outwardly urged by thesprings 62 into the position of Figure 4, the collar 66 is retractedunder the action of these same springs, and the controlling cam movesthe push rod into retracted position as shown in Figure 4.

The valve on the feed chute is retracted by the lever 136 strikingadjustable abutment 139, and a neck insert feeds down into the positionin front of the plunger in the hollow passage 83.

Then, under the control of the cam 101, the push rod moves forward andat the same time, under the action of cam 36, the body moves forward,the two cams being timed such that the neck insert is positioned throughthe hollow shaft and into the opening of the collapsible tube just priorto the closing of the rollers. As the body moves forward, the roller 73engages spring plunger 75, which action closes the rollers 57, as spring82 is stili. In closed position the rollers carry forward with the bodythe rest of the way under the intluence of the spring plunger. As theplunger moves forward spring 96 is compressed, providing lost motionbetween the body of the push rod and the plunger. At the same time lostmotion of the pin 110 causes the front of the body 85 to engage the rimof the forward end of the neck insert. All of this time, the spinninghead is rotating, and as the spinning rollers are moving inwardly, theyengage and spin over the flange as shown in Figure 5.

It will be evident that the neck insert has been fed through the spacewhich the spinning rollers later occupy since the spinning rollers arepushed outward 'when the neck insert is fed and later move inward.

Next, the body is retracted, and the collar 65 moves relatively back,allowing the spinning rollers to move radially outward and to clear theend of the mandrel. In this position, the mandrel Wheel indexes to bringa new mandrel and collapsible tube into spinning position.

It will be evident that the mandrels can be used to perform otheroperations on the collapsible tubes while mounted on the mandrels. Forexample, coating or other similar operations may be performed.

It will also be evident that the principles of the invention can beapplied to perform other functions beside spinning, such as for example,rolling threads, trimming, or capping, as desired. It will also beunderstood that instead of a neck insert a nipple, applicator or nozzlemay be used.

In View of my invention and disclosure, variations and modifications tomeet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evident toothers skilled in the art, to obtain all or part of the benefits of myinvention without copying the structure shown, and I, therefore, claimall such insofar as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scope ofmy claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a device for spinning collapsible tubes and securing an inserttherein, a rotatable spinning head having an axial opening, having aradially movable spinning finger pivoted on the spinning head and havinga spinning roller rotatably mounted at the forward end of the spinningfinger, a longitudinal guide having 4an opening extending axially of thespinning head to a point interior of the spinning head and having a sidefeed opening which extends into the axial opening, a feeding plungerextending through the axial opening of the guide and through theinterior of the spinning head, having a retracted position more remotefrom the spinning head than the side feed opening at which it is adaptedto receive an insert to feed forward into the spinning head, and havingan advanced position in which it centers and holds said insert inposition to be engaged by a collapsible tube, mandrel means to support acollapsible tube with its forward end in line with the axis of thespinning head and adjacent the spinning roller, and with a flange on thecollapsible tu-be in position to be formed by the spinning roller, meansto reciprocate the feeding plunger forward to move an insert intoengagement with the collapsible tube, and means for moving the spinningfinger inwardly against the flange of the collapsible tube.

2. A device of claim l, in combination with means for reciprocating thespinning head forwardly and rearwardly, and a guide on the mandrel meansmating with the plunger in forward position of the plunger.

3. In a device for spinning metal, a rotatable and reciprocable spinninghead, means to rotate the spinning head, a spinning finger pi-votallymounted on the spinning head, permitting the forward end of the spinninglinger to move toward and away from the axis of the spinning head, -aspinning roller rotatably mounted `on the forward end of the spinningfinger, a collar surrounding the spinning head and acting on thespinning finger, the collar being adapted by motion in one directionaxially of the spinning head to move the spinning finger to urge thespinning roller radially inwardly, spring means acting on the spinningfinger to retract the spinning finger, means for shifting the collaraxially, comprising a lever pivoted intermediate its ends, movablelongitudinally with the spinning head and interconnected at one end withthe collar, and spring abutment means fixed relative to the spinninghead located on the side of the pivot opposite from the collar andacting on the lever so that during longitudinal movement of the lever itwill engage the spring abutment means and pivot, producing movement ofthe collar and actuation of the roller, said spring abutment means beingrelatively stiffer than the spring means acting on the finger, wherebythe spring abutment means when engaged moves the spinning roller firstto operative position and then compresses to permit forward overtravelof the spinning head.

References Cited in the fle of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 852,323Fulenwider Apr. 30, 1907 1,980,440 Rapple Nov. 13, 1934 2,237,614Perrone Apr. 8, 1941 2,252,532 Temple Aug. 12, 1941 2,631,638 LevineMar. 17, 1953 2,765,608 Ford et al. Oct. 9, 1956

